Cream Ale AleBlazers

All craft beer claims originality, but the truth is, Cream Ale is one of three original American beer styles. And as Americans are drinking less and less beer, we needed to own this originality to get more millennials to know us and choose us—in our own backyard and new ones.

View captionD.C.—Nekisha DurrettVideo stories focused on originality and self-discovery from our six-city journey were the primary content of the AleBlazers campaign. This public-installation artist is all about breaking down first impressions and having people take a closer look.

View captionBoston—Boston Barber & Tattoo Co.Here’s to doing it, all of it, the right way. This video story from the North End of Boston aligns Cream Ale’s values with these passionate community businessmen.

View captionNashville—Graci PhillipsCream Ale celebrates authenticity with artists fighting for originality through music. This multidimensional Nashville artist is succeeding by being herself at every turn.

View captionRochester—Dean JonesOur video series had to leverage the brewmaster’s mastery of Cream Ale and beer history. Genesee took a chance 60 years ago on this brewing original and hasn't looked back since.

Connecting with our audience about more than beer

Spreading awareness by driving connection

For marketing-adverse millennials who want to feel as though they set their own tune, we created and curated experiences and content that celebrate true AleBlazers—the spirited people who are making their own path in life and whose taste for life is as unique as Cream Ale.

Sales growth in core regions:

18%

Website updateThe Cream Ale site was updated to match the campaign with the same energy and visual design. It featured content highlights and a beer finder to help match consumers with the product.View caption

Tapping into originality

Cream Ale didn’t compete on the usual ads and media spend; that’s not original. We told real stories of unexpected people, places and makers—think barbers, tattoo artists and fingerboard artists—through video, photography and editorial stories. All delivered through the channels our audience already hangs out in—social and digital. Plus, a printed zine and a flexi-record of tracks from the bands featured on our AleBlazers tour satisfied our audience’s craving for tangible analog content.

Exceeding benchmarks & trends

In a market where originality is overclaimed, we delivered. And in a category that is flat on its best day, we punched hard. Through a combination of engaging content, paid promotion and on-site tastings in both current and expansion markets, we saw 18% sales growth in existing markets and 8% sales growth in expansion markets.